A review of crowd control at the Notting Hill Carnival has been demanded after police said they had to intervene on multiple occasions “to save life” at last year’s event.
The Met, which has consistently raised concerns about the possibility of “a mass casualty event” at carnival, revealed there were “100 spontaneous crowd incidents” that caused alarm at the 2024 event.
At times, the crowds were so dense that officers were unable to reach areas where revellers were thought to be in danger.
At one point, people “were being hoisted up on to scaffolding at the side of the road to get out of what was a really dangerous level of crowd density”, according to the Met’s assistant commissioner, Matt Twist.
It said it shared the Met’s concern “about the risk of a crush scenario at Notting Hill Carnival, due to high crowd density and inadequate stewarding provision from the organisers”.
About two million people a year attend carnival.
The report called on London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan to commission a review of crowd density and safety at the event “to inform stewarding requirements”.
This should include a full review of pinch points and “strict guidance” for the number of stewards required across the carnival.
However Sir Sadiq has been given a year to complete his review – meaning that no changes are expected to be made in time for the 2025 carnival.
An increase in the number of people attending carnival is said to have “exacerbated” the risk of there being a life-threatening crush. The area at the top of Ladbroke Grove was said to be of particular concern.
Mr Twist, in evidence to the assembly last year, said: “The thing that I am always most worried about with carnival is crowd density.
“Over the course of Notting Hill Carnival weekend, we had 100 spontaneous crowd incidents…. We did have to step in a number of times in order to reduce the crowd density in order to save life.”
Two people were murdered at or near carnival last year - Cher Maximen, 32, who was with her three-year-old daughter when she was fatally stabbed, and Mussie Imnetu, a chef visiting from Dubai, who was attacked in Queensway.
The Met had about 7,000 officers on duty at carnival. The event organiser, Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, has responsibility for providing stewarding for the event, and for ensuring crowd safety.
The Met has responsibility for “prevention and detection of crime, for keeping the King’s peace and, if necessary, for saving life”.
Notting Hill Carnival Ltd has said it does “not recognise any situation in which it was required for the police to be called in to help with crown management”.
The report highlighted an incident last year where staff failed to notify the emergency services to a serious assault that left the victim unconscious and with deep lacerations from a bottle attack.
Susan Hall, the Tory chairman of the assembly’s police and crime committee, said there were “safety concerns for millions of Londoners” attending carnival.
She said: “The carnival is an important part of London’s cultural calendar.
“However, we have seen and heard a number of incredibly worrying incidents with crowd density at the event, which severely impacts the Met’s ability to keep visitors safe or to respond to any incidents that occur.
“The Met told us during our investigation that there is a real possibility of a mass casualty event, and we cannot stand by and wait for a tragic incident to happen, action must be taken.
“Two people tragically lost their lives at last year’s event due to violent crime, and it is absolutely essential that the Met is on hand to carry out its duties, and not fill in for a lack of stewarding from the organisers.
“We urge the mayor to commission a review of crowd density and safety at the carnival, to ensure the event is well managed and to let the Met do its job in keeping us safe.”
The cross-party committee’s report was silent on whether carnival should remain a street festival or be moved to Hyde Park or another location.
A spokesperson for the mayor said: “Notting Hill Carnival burst on to the streets of west London nearly six decades ago and since then, the community-led celebration of Caribbean history and culture has grown to become one of the world’s biggest street festivals and part of the very fabric of our city.
“An independent review is already underway commissioned by the carnival organising committee, with support from City Hall, Met police, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council to ensure carnival is as safe and enjoyable as possible.”
Notting Hill Carnival Ltd said in a statement: “In line with our recommendations as the organisers of Notting Hill Carnival, we were pleased that our partners agreed that an independent review is undertaken regarding the safety and security of carnival.
“The first stage of this report has been delivered and is being reviewed by our organising partners that include the Metropolitan Police, City Hall, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.”
